THE CITY REBORN FROM THE ASHES OF AMERICA'S MOST DISASTROUS FOREST FIRE

From our readers

Editor:

The YMCA After School Programs have benefitted from the Brats for Breakfast Sale.

I would like to thank everyone that purchased a brat during the Annual YMCA Brats for Breakfast, and volunteers who cooked, Dan, Floyd, and Gene, delivered, and prepped 1341 brats. I especially thank Jack's Fresh Market who helped us keep our expenses to a bare minimum allowing the funds to be put to use in the community.

On Dec. 31 the YMCAs After School Programs (ASP) had a grant through the Michigan Health Endowment Fund come to an end. This grant allowed us to offer more services to the families who benefited from our program. We were able to provide a healthy snack each day, implement Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) Standards, and offer transportation to a site by sharing the expense of bussing with the DAR.

Over a two-year period the Y received over $35000 for our Healthy Out of School Time (HOST) programming. That is a lot of money to have to "find" in other places, but finding it we are! Smaller grants, gifts from the YMCA Annual Campaign, Brats for Breakfast, and Jack's Fresh Market have stepped up to the plate to ensure that our families will still receive the services and quality program they have come to expect in our ASP.

As a matter of fact, with this new school year Joe Plautz and his staff will be implementing the nationally known CATCH curriculum. CATCH is the most cost effective means of preventing childhood obesity, in an environment that's fun and easy to sustain. Supplies and equipment for the program have already arrived and a date has been solidified for our staff to get trained.

At the Y we have said that many hands, small gifts, and many heads can do AMAZING work. We've been proving it for over 45 years! Thank you for eating a brat this year. We look forward to serving you again in 2018.

Terri Falkenberg,

Menominee

Times Editor:

Northern Wisconsin is home to some of the most beautiful lakes, rivers, and forests in the Midwest " if not the world. It is also home to an aging population and unemployment rates that lag behind the rest of the state.

Over the last 15 years, the older generation has been retiring and the younger generation continues to move elsewhere in search of greater opportunities. Other factors have compounded this loss of population: less forestry habitat management on the national forests and a school funding formula that hurts the property-rich tourism communities. Many factors have caused businesses in northern Wisconsin to dwindle and close. To southern Wisconsin residents this may seem inconsequential. Many think tourism jobs are enough to sustain the economy.

Unfortunately, the seasonality, low wages and boom and bust nature of the tourism industry are not enough to sustain vibrant communities. Northern Wisconsin needs a balanced economy to stem the exodus of young people and to have opportunity available for the next generation. Mining could provide the necessary spark for industry and population growth in the Northwoods.

Across the borders in Michigan and Minnesota, mining towns are reawakening. The Eagle Mine in Upper Michigan for example, currently employs several hundred people. These are family sustaining jobs. The total economic impact from just this one mine has been estimated at $2 billion.

Mining could be an anchor industry in northern Wisconsin. We have the natural resources and technical knowhow to mine safely and responsibly right here in the Badger state. The Flambeau Mine in western Wisconsin is an example of a mine that was safely operated, closed, and reclaimed. It now provides recreational opportunities. Mining could provide jobs and opportunity for rural residents and help stabilize and grow industry in northern Wisconsin. With the proper tax policy, it could provide additional tax revenue to the local communities for much needed infrastructure improvements.

Along the same lines, mining may very well be the industry to revitalize freight rail in our region. As the former five-year chair of the Northwoods Rail Transit Commission, a collection of 20 Wisconsin and Michigan counties working to restore rail service in the Great Lakes area, I strongly believe that rail service is critical to the survival of existing businesses and communities in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula. However, over the last five years, it has become very difficult for manufacturing businesses to find affordable and reliable freight service. It is less and less profitable for rail line operators to maintain and service our light density rail line network.

Mining would provide long term freight contracts that would compel rail line operators to restore and upgrade rail lines in our region, or lease the lines to a short line operator who is interested in doing so. This would reduce transportation costs for businesses, including our forest products and paper industries, and would make our region more attractive for other manufacturing businesses looking to expand or relocate to our area.

Northern Wisconsin needs a diverse economy to grow and prosper. We don't need to choose mining over tourism " we can have both. Mining can be done both safely and responsibly. We need to take advantage of the opportunity to bolster industry in rural Wisconsin.

Wendy Gehlhoff- Director

Florence County Economic Development

501 Lake Ave. " Courthouse

Florence, Wisconsin 54121

Office (715)528-3294

Letter to the Editor:

What a great week it was for the Marinette/Menominee Community during Marinette's Cabela's 2017 National Walleye Tour (NWT) Championship! I want to thank a great many people and organizations for putting the time and effort into the event, making a successful and memorable Championship.

Starting with locally promoting the tournament, the EagleHerald and Bay Cities Radio got the word out. The hospitality shown to anglers by residents and organizations with "Good Luck Fishermen" signs and the Welcome Walleyes only added to making this an exceptional event. The Cabela's NWT Banquet had great food with special thanks to the Marinette Moose Lodge 2327, Marinette High School and Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch.

More thanks goes to the NWT Planning Committee, along with a list of volunteers, sponsors and special help from the City of Marinette employees to make this Championship special. Thanks goes out to those who worked to make both the Menekaunee Harbor Dedication Ceremony and Celebration for the Lower Menominee River Area of Concern clean up and restoration a success.

I would also like to thank the Marinette Military 20 Year Club for the Harbor Flag Raising Ceremony and Cabela's NWT Director Anthony Wright and Marinette County Tourism Coordinator Butch Kostreva for working with the City of Marinette.

Steve Genisot,

Marinette Mayor

To Editor:

The months of May-June Crivitz and Marinette Count had had a year of rain. When have we received as much during these months? Never, since records began in the 1800's.

How many remember, and/or witnessed the severe floods that overcame the Village of Crivitz a number of times through the 60's and 70's? During one, I remember my father cruising over the intersection of "US 141" and "County W" in a motor boat, from "Matty's Steakhouse" and "Gateway Inn" to the "Crivitz Bakery."

How is it that Crivitz did not suffer similar, even more devastating flooding from the record-breaking rains of this spring?

Kudos to the Village of Crivitz board members and President John Deschane. Over the last decade, the village has quietly, diligently pushed its "watershed revision" project to completion, culminating, finally, last fall; designed to redirect and divert flood waters around and away from the village. It obviously was a success.

Congratulations and thank you to any and all that had a part in this proactive project for a tremendous job-well-done.

R. Paul Matty,

Crivitz

Editor:

Who thinks it is a good idea to start school on Friday of a holiday weekend? Traffic alone should be a reason to avoid doing this. Slow moving buses and lots of people on the roads. Not very smart!

I have not found one business or parent that thinks this is a good idea.